As I have said in chapter 1, this story is based on a TV show called Dear Friend: Almost a Love Story. This show is based on real life stories. They email the network their personal stories whether it is about their love life or family problems—that's what Dear Friend is all about. It has been years ago since the show finished. Almost a Love Story is my all-time favorite.

This is the parallelism of my story and the TV show.

Rachel- Hanna

Quinn- Rommel

Brittany- Rommel's girlfriend

Santana- Luigi

Holly- Hanna's older cousin Noemi

The letter writer is Hanna. Her cousin just came back in town that night and she was really surprised. They agreed to go to the mall to catch up but she was surprised that her cousin brought her to the bar. She then got lost inside it and met Rommel. Rommel was 24 and she was 15.

They talked and played PSP together and agreed to eat at some pizza place. Rommel drives a bike and she finds it really amazing. When they got back to the bar, Hanna's cousin was already waiting for her. She revealed that she met with her boyfriend.

*In the tv show, Hanna's cousin did not break up with her boyfriend. They were actually going strong. And she's there for a visit. She isn't really bound to come back to Australia, but just in another city of the country.

Things go from there. They hang out all the time because they realized that Rommel just lives nearby. They go to the park regularly to have a picnic or to drive a bicycle. By that time, Rommel's girlfriend was a lawyer and she wasn't in town. Also, Rommel was a disappointment to his family because he keeps on shifting courses.

One day they were hanging out at Rommel's apartment and his GF came to surprise Rommel and basically threw Hanna out of Rommel's apartment. Rommel didn't follow the crying Hanna. Hanna then returned to Rommel's place a week after and told him that he doesn't deserve to be with GF, he got mad, Hanna cried, but soon after they made up and agreed to continue to hang out because they were practically bros.

Rommel started to lose interest with GF because GF was not always around at the same time. GF got mad and called Hanna's father that someone was taking advantage of his daughter. He immediately went to Rommel's house with a bunch of cops, and caught Rommel tickling his little girl, they were actually in a very intimate position.

Rommel was imprisoned, his parents were again disappointed and met Rachel's parents. Luckily, GF bailed him out and made him decide if he should continue with his stupid decisions. That's when he also realized that he loves Hanna.

He and Hanna secretly met one night outside the girl's place and he told him that he would go far away from her. Hanna was sad, but he promised that he will come back every midnight of her birthday.

Rommel went to live with his parents and continued his studies. He actually went to Hanna's 16th and 17th birthday but he wasn't there on the 18th. It was then revealed that his father forced him to work overseas to gain more money, and he can't disobey him because he wants to prove that he's not as stubborn as his dad thinks he is, and also because he also thinks that it's good for him and Hanna. He finished engineering and worked at Dubai, UAE.

Hanna was miserable when Rommel didn't come on her 18th birthday, and that's where Luigi was first shown. He has a crush at Hanna for a very long time, but he did not tell her yet. He saw Hanna crying on her birthday so he asked what's wrong. Hanna asked him if he could go with her somewhere, so he agreed.

They went to where Rommel's parents live and asked them where Rommel was, and told them she was Rommel's best friend. Rommel's father was furious and told her to leave because Rommel was already married for a year with GF.

Luigi started to court her and her parents immediately approved of him because he was really a nice guy, and she thinks so too. They got together when she was 19 (I don't remember) until they graduated college. One day, Luigi and she were at a dinner celebrating their 5th anniversary. Luigi then showed her a cake with a ring stuck on it. Luigi then knelt in front of her and proposed, she thought for a while but said yes.

One day, when she was working at a bank, she met Rommel looking very handsome as ever but more matured. They talked casually and she realized that Rommel just got back in town and was helping his father settle his hospital bills since his father has heart problems.

She didn't ask about his marriage with GF, but then Rommel left her his calling card and begged her to call him to catch up.

About a week later, she called Rommel and met with him at a local coffee shop. Rommel complimented how beautiful and grown up she already was, and also how he misses her and how much he loves her.

She gave up to temptation and she and Rommel had sex that night.

During her engagement party with Luigi, her cousin and her were talking about the upcoming wedding. She then revealed the thing she had with Rommel, then her cousin asked her if she loves him still, she said yes but said that they can't be together anymore and that what they were doing is a sin. She also said that she needs to be happy, and only Luigi can finally make her happy now.

She met up with Rommel again and ended things with him. She told him that she was already getting married and that he needs to be faithful with GF, he denied but she was not listening anymore.

About a month before her wedding, she realized that Rommel was not in town anymore. She thought that maybe Rommel has realized that it was a mistake, and that maybe he was already gone for good.

About a week before her wedding, she and Luigi were at his car and talking. Luigi was telling stories happily but she was zoning out. She realized that she was being unfair with Luigi and also to herself. She realized that she loves Rommel more than anyone, and if she can't have him anymore, she would rather be alone than hurt Luigi. She then broke it off with Luigi and explained everything to him.

About a month later, Luigi's parents came to where she lives and were constantly angry with her because Luigi committed suicide, but luckily he was saved and was in a hospital. She went to visit him at a hospital but his parents threw her out.

A year later, she was slightly doing well already, then Luigi showed up at her house, looking neat and happy again. She asked if he was already okay, and he said that he was, that he finally understood what Hanna was feeling. They became best friends again.

One day, Hanna was shocked that Rommel's GF met with her. She asked bitterly what GF was doing. That she already has Rommel and she was already the winner of his heart. GF then told her that everything was a lie, that Hanna doesn't understand a thing about Rommel's situation last year.

She then asked GF worriedly about it. GF revealed that Rommel was already dying and that he has colon cancer. He only has six months to live. GF revealed that Rommel chose to make Hanna believe that he was already happy somewhere with GF and be mad at him, rather than make Hanna worry about him all her life. He doesn't want Hanna to pity him. He doesn't want to be a burden.

GF asked Hanna's help. She said that Rommel doesn't know that they were meeting. GF told her that she is the only one who could make Rommel happy, even for a short while. She cried really hard and agreed to go to the hospital with GF.

When she got there, her cries got even louder and her heart broke because Rommel was literally skin and bones and he almost can't speak anymore. It takes him forever to finish a single sentence.

She blamed herself and asked God why Rommel suffered like this. Rommel then reached for her arms and embraced her tightly as he declared his love and apologies to Hanna. By the next few months she visits Rommel constantly and she also witnessed the moment that he was dying.

The show ended when after 4 to 5 years, Hanna was at the cemetery visiting Rommel's grave, she was with Luigi. The host of the show then narrates that she married Luigi and she was happy with him, too, but not as happy as with Rommel. She then told Rommel's grave that she wishes that Rommel will be happy with her decision.

Up until the present, Luigi and Hanna already have 2 kids, but Rommel's memory will always stay at their hearts forever.

Scenes from my story that were not mentioned in here were already my original, including the dialogue. I just want to tell you all that angst like this does really happen in real life. You can't say that I ran the story into circles because that's really what happened, and I'm sorry if it disappointed some of you, really sorry.

If some of you are living in my country as well, go check out "Dear Friend: Almost a Love Story" on Youtube. It was uploaded there. The actors are Rhian Ramos and TJ Trinidad. I'm just sad that they don't have a copy with English subtitles.

I didn't follow the ending of this story because I think that people have different takes on a situation, and I don't want to bring more angsty feeling to our hearts, so I made a happy ending.

I want to thank you all again for reviewing, favoriting, and following this story. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Until my next story!

-E.